Many medical procedures are undertaken through small tracts formed within a patient's tissue. These procedures are minimally invasive. In order to form the tract running from outside of the patient to a target within the patient, a probe typically is inserted in the initial stages of a procedure. This probe will run from the surface of the patient's skin to the target. Later in the procedure, this initial insertion can be enlarged to accommodate other medical devices necessary for the procedure.
Typically, inserting the probe is a time-consuming procedure. The probe must be positioned properly, typically under the guidance of an energy emitting medical device, such as an x-ray emitting device. X-ray energy passes through the patient's body and differentially impinges on a fluoroscope screen, exciting fluorescent material, such as calcium tungstate, to create a screen display of the body and probe. The probe is visualized on the fluoroscope as it enters the patient on the display of the medical device. This probe can appear on the screen because it does not allow the energy to pass through it (i.e., it can be opaque).